Whether due to disease, stroke or Alzheimer's, a percentage of the population cannot urinate through their urethras. Such patients may be catheterized with a urinary catheter where the catheter is passed through the urethral of the patient until a distal end of the catheter is located in the patient's bladder. Thereafter, an expandable balloon is expanded to lodge the distal end of the catheter in the bladder. During catheterization, with a urinary catheter, urine drains from the bladder through the catheter, and through a drainage tube attached to a proximal end of the catheter to a drainage bag for collection therein.
Another system comprises the use of supra pubic catheters where the catheter passes through the abdomen wall of the patient until the distal end of the catheter is located in the bladder. This technique bypasses the urethra all together, and the bladder is connected to the outside of the body in the pelvic region. A surgical procedure is conducted where a stoma tunnel made of body tissue leads from the bladder to the outside of the abdomen.
Such supra pubic catheters have been used to drain urine by placing a urethral catheter through the tunnel or stoma. A balloon at one end, namely the distal end, is inflated with sterile water or saline inside the patient's bladder in order to keep the catheter in place. Thus, fluid from the bladder exits through the hollow passageway of the catheter to the exterior of the patient's body. Examples of such prior art devices and procedures are disclosed in U.S. Publication No. U.S. 2003/0009079, U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,745 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,651.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,000 discloses a supra pubic catheter inserted by way of a cannula which is positioned using a trocar, the trocar being withdrawn to leave the cannula in position through the wall of the bladder, allowing passage of the supra pubic catheter, the cannula being provided with means for subsequent removal from the catheter.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,636 teaches a device for flushing the urinary bladder.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,255 illustrates a pad for use with a continent ostomy port which includes a body portion having a internal wall defining an aperture appropriately sized placed around a stoma, the body portion of the pad being sized and shaped for placement against the user's skin beneath a face place of an ostomy port. The pad is formed of a soft, flexible material to thereby cushion and protect the skin from contact with the ostomy port face plate.
One of the difficulties with the current technique and prior art devices resides in the fact that the inflated balloon does not stay in place, either due to patient's movement or the play in migration inwards and outwards of the catheter which breaks the seal. Furthermore, the weight of the saline filled balloon may cause leaking of air and fluid. Ideally, the fluid or urine drains from the bladder with the use of the relatively higher pressure in the bladder when compared to the atmosphere pressure in the drainage bag or the like, as well as due to the gravity. In those circumstances, where there is no seal, drainage relies on gravity alone.
In addition, when a good seal is not maintained, urinary leakage occurs. The patient is wet and in addition the weight of the patient in bed and the pressure on the skin increases a patient's risk of infection, skin breakdown and formation of decubitus ulcers. There is a general concern for decubitus ulcers in the sacrum and bilateral hips which manifest itself as Ishial tuberosities. If a patient already has decubitus ulcers in these areas with urine leakage on such dressing affects the effectiveness of the dressing and the medication under the dressing, which ultimately leads to various complications.
Moreover, leakage of air and fluid around catheter provides an avenue for infection. If air and or fluid can leak out, organisms can be introduced through this access. The catheter outside the skin and any organisms on this catheter will be deposited in the bladder by the migration and play of the catheter.
Moreover, it has been documented that, without properly securing the urethral catheter, the stoma over time, becomes larger and eventually causing insertion of a larger catheter. This causes the patient more trauma and discomfort. Much of the existing difficulties may stem from the fact that urethral catheters are used in supra pubic catheter applications.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved apparatus and method as well as system for a supra public catheter.
Retention bolsters for gastrostomy and other ostomy tubes have been disclosed as illustrated in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,714. Moreover, retention bolster for percutaneous catheters which have a convexly curved exterior surface which contacts the epidermal surface of the patient are shown on U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,420.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,080 teaches an endotracheal tube holder.
There is a need for an improved apparatus, method and system for supra pubic catheters.